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Jharkand, Assam to get Agri Research Institute

14 July 2014

INDIA - With a view to expand its agriculture research activities in the country, Indian finance minister, Arun Jaitley has said that government will establish two agriculture research institutions of excellence in Assam and Jharkhand with an initial sum of $17 million in the current financial year.

While presenting the 2014-15 general budget, Jaitley said that the government will also set up Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund of $17 million.

Jaitley said that farming as an activity contributes nearly 1/6th to our National GDP and a major portion of our population is dependent on it for livelihood. It has risen to the challenge of making India largely self-sufficient in providing food for a growing population.

To make farming competitive and profitable, there is an urgent need to step up investment, both public and private, in agro-technology development and creation and modernization of existing agri-business infrastructure, the minister stressed.